Admiral McRaven: Why the U.S. Must Win the Global Innovation Race

Maintaining US edge in technology and national security requires investment in STEM education and basic science, as well as bridging the gap between private technology companies and the military.

• US is still ahead of China in technology and capability, but China produces more STEM graduates
• Creativity and freedom to think is part of the American and Western spirit that China struggles to replicate
• Government needs to invest in STEM programs and basic science
• Investment in K-12 education is crucial for future success
• Military needs to be more agile and not afraid of failing fast to bridge the gap between private technology companies and the military

The military system is onerous and stringent, which can hinder the software process. The platform of the future will be agnostic and focus on software and technology that can be plug and play on the platform. However, this requires the military to be more agile and not afraid of failing fast. Congress also plays a role in constraining the best product for the dollar, but the military needs to hold their ground to ensure the best capabilities are put out in the battlefield to help soldiers, airmen, and marines.

Admiral William H. McRaven, a retired Navy four-star admiral and former SEAL, sits down with Scale Founder and CEO Alexandr Wang to discuss why America must regain its dominance in technology innovation – and how, by acting decisively, it can do so. In recent years, some other countries have outspent the U.S., but an effective policy is about much more than budgetary considerations. Admiral McRaven discusses leadership lessons that apply to technology strategy based upon his decades of experience in special operations, his combat during Desert Storm and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, his organization and leadership of the team that captured Osama bin Laden, and his years of advising U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama on defense issues. The Admiral has also written several books that wound up on The New York Times’ best-seller list, including Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations; The Hero Code: Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived; and Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World. The last was originally a commencement speech that the admiral repurposed into a book. Admiral McRaven is on the boards of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the National Football Foundation, the International Crisis Group, The Mission Continues, and ConocoPhillips.